Follow us on

Operation Crossbow

The credits here are impressive, the plot is intriguing and the production values impeccable, but they only add up to an average wartime thriller. In common with many blockbuster writers, Emeric Pressburger (co-scripting under the pseudonym Richard Imrie) and his colleagues were confounded by the dual task of telling a ripping yarn and finding enough to do for a big-name cast (that includes George Peppard, Sophia Loren and John Mills). As a result, the mission to replace German V-2 rocket scientists with Allied boffins is often of secondary interest to the stargazing. However, there is plenty of derring-do, even though director Michael Anderson struggles to find a workable balance between action and chat.

Plot Summary

Second World War drama starring George Peppard and Sophia Loren. In December 1942, details of a terrifying new weapon being developed by the Nazis filter through to England, and within months V-1 flying bombs are falling on London. Just as gun crews begin successfully to counter the attacks, news comes of a far more powerful threat, the V-2 rocket, and a small group of agents is sent on a vital mission to destroy its base in Holland.